The rise of the computer age has resulted in increased access to personalized services online. As the cost of electronics and networking services drop, many services that were previously provided in person are now provided remotely over the Internet. For example, entertainment has increasingly shifted to the online space with companies such as Netflix and Amazon streaming TV shows and movies to members at home. Similarly, electronic mail (e-mail) has reduced the need for letters to be physically delivered. Instead, messages are sent over networked systems almost instantly. Online social networking sites allow members to build and maintain personal and business relationships in a much more comprehensive and manageable manner.
One important application of new computer technologies is the sales world. Sales professionals (e.g., people or companies that derive their income from selling goods or products to other individuals or companies) rely on sales leads (e.g., names and contact information of individuals or companies that will potentially want to purchase the product or service offered by the sales professionals) to make contacts that lead to sales. Networked computer systems can collect and process large amounts of data to streamline and enhance the system for generating sales leads. Thus, networked computer systems that store large amounts of data about companies and their employees can offer enhanced search capabilities to their members such that a member can specify search criteria and then receive search results that list one or more search results that match the specified criteria (e.g., recommendations for people who match the search query).
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